The present invention relates generally to assist in pouring a liquid, such as paint, from a can. More specifically, the present invention relates to an integral pour spout mounted flush with the can so as to provide a means to facilitate vertical storage and shipping as well as a surface to display graphics.
It is well known that the standard paint container consists of a one-gallon can with a metal press-on lid. This lid has a formed flange that fits into a circular groove around the circumference of the container thereby sealing the paint within. After removal of the lid, paint may be poured out of the can or a brush may be dipped into the paint whereby removing the paint directly from the can. In both instances, paint is inadvertently transferred into the circular groove that accepts the lid. This paint must be adequately removed from the groove prior to engaging the formed flange of the lid. If this is not done, the paint will likely harden around the flange of the lid making it difficult to remove when re-opening. In addition, while pouring paint from a can, the paint is susceptible to dripping down the exterior surface of the can. It is known that a lip to assist in pouring paint can be attached around the circumference of the container to prevent paint from being transferred into the groove. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,650 to Crump, U.S. Pat. No. 4,240,568 to Pool, U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,960 to Arnold, U.S. Pat. No. 5,641,089 to Palank, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,951 to Pruckler disclose an annular ring that attaches to the open rim of a can. While these devises will prevent the liquid contents from entering the groove around the top of the container they will not prevent the liquid contents from dripping down the exterior surface of the can.
As an alternative to protecting only the rim of the can, several other patents disclose a means of attaching a spout to one side of the rim. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,952,288 to Saxon, U.S. Pat. No. 2,767,891 to Beadles and U.S. Pat. No. 5,195,662 to Neff disclose a means of attaching a U-shaped trough to the open rim of the can. While these devises will assist in pouring the liquid from the container, they suffer the disadvantage of leaving the remaining rim and groove of the can unprotected and susceptible to paint transfer.
Several patents have combined the benefits of protecting the groove while providing a spout to assist in pouring the liquid from the container. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,203,537 to McAlister, U.S. Pat. No. 4,907,714 to Gatz and U.S. Pat. No. 5,234,133 to Kensey disclose an annular rim for protecting the groove that combines a pour spout. In all cases, the prior art suffers the disadvantage of a spout that has to be removed from the top of the can and stored separately from the can itself when not in use. This takes up additional storage space and could result in misplacement of the spout if not stored in close proximity to the can.
Several patents have attempted to address the issue of storage. For example U.S. Pat. No. 2,720,346 to Compton discloses a method to store a spout on the exterior of a container in the inverted position by utilizing pressure adhesive tabs. U.S. Pat. No. 3,221,955 to Banaszak utilizes an integral clip that is adapted to be snapped onto the outer edge of the container so the attachment may be stored with the container in a hanging position. U.S. Pat. No. 3,239,113 to Knize engages the entire rim of the container and acts as a new attachment base for the press-on lid. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,469,735 to Burt discloses a means to store a protector of the container rim in the inverted position by engaging with the metal press-on lid. These patents demonstrate a need for a spout that is stored directly on the can to reduce the possibility of the spout being lost or misplaced. However, in each case the attachment takes up additional storage space on the container and has the disadvantage of not being able to accommodate the storage of additional containers.
Paint containers are typically stacked in the retail store, one on top of the other. The containers do not interlock so this structure becomes unstable and creates a safety concern if more than a couple of cans are stacked together. It is very difficult and time consuming for stock personnel to stack the containers concentrically on top of one another so it is seldom done. The visual image of paint containers precariously stacked one on top of the other, is one of disorder creating an unkempt appearance. It has been demonstrated by U.S. Pat. No. 3,173,574 to Goldsmith, U.S. Pat. No. 3,913,785 to Pattershall and U.S. Pat. No. 3,980,213 to Ramsay that by attaching a properly formed cover or lid to the opening of a container it is possible to stack additional containers in a stable position above. Thus there is a further need for an integral spout that allows a means of alignment of the paint containers so that they may be stacked concentrically on top of one another while structurally interlocking.
Paint containers are shipped for retail distribution in bundles. For single gallon containers a bundle generally consists of four cans packaged in a box or in a cardboard tray. The boxes and trays can then be palletized for bulk shipments. The cardboard that makes up the boxes and trays is expensive. In addition, the boxes take up a lot of space when discarded and result in material waste. It is well known that cylindrical containers can be combined together such as in a six-pack of beverage cans. Such a multi-packaging device is disclosed in Pat. No. 4,462,494 to Cunningham. Thus there is an additional need for an inexpensive method of packaging the paint containers that will also eliminate the volume of cardboard waste that currently exists.
Another device used by painters is a stirring stick used for mixing paint. These include hand held mixing paddles as well as devices that are inserted into electric hand drills. Such drill operated devises are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,733,645 to Seiler and U.S. Pat. No. 4,083,653 to Stiffler. Thus there is a further additional need to provide such a mixing device integral with the spout attachment.
The paint container and lid are very generic in construction. One paint manufacturer may use a container that is indistinguishable from another paint manufacturer. The only distinguishing element on the container is the label, which typically encircles the entire can from top to bottom. This label leaves little or no room on the container for the retailer to display a trademark, logo and the like. In addition, once the paint leaves the retail store, the identity of where the paint was purchased has been lost. Thus there is a need for integral graphics which can be applied to the container without altering the manufacturer's label so as to display the retailer's trademark, logo and the like.